State Says Some Fish Products Not Fishy Enough

State Says Products Not Fishy Enough

July 25, 1991|By ANTHONY GIORGIANNI; Courant Consumer Affairs Writer

They may be labeled "fish" and they may be located in the fish section of the grocer's freezer, but many breaded fish products might be better placed on the bakery shelf, state Consumer Protection Commissioner Gloria Schaffer said Wednesday.

A consumer protection department survey of 35 popular brands of frozen, breaded fish sticks, fish fillets and shrimp has found that more than half are mostly bread, Schaffer said.

She said consumers are paying as much as $29.73 a pound for the fish in these products, more than four times the amount they would pay if they bought the fish fresh in the grocer's freezer case.

"You have to question, when it comes to a product like this, whether it's worth it," Schaffer said at a press conference in her office.

Schaffer said she is asking the federal Food and Drug Administration to require that such products contain at least 50 percent fish. The products ranged from 21.1 percent bread to 74.4 percent. The price per pound for the fish alone ranged from $4.22 to $29.73.

Schaffer said some of the products produced by Gorton's and Mrs. Paul's Kitchens Inc. may violate voluntary U.S. Department of Commerce standards. Both General Mills, which produces Gorton's products, and Mrs. Paul's have agreed to abide by those standards, which require that breaded fish products contain at least 50 percent fish and that battered products contain at least 40 percent.

Officials of both companies say their products are federally inspected to make sure they meet the guidelines.

"I question whether the state of Connecticut used the same sampling procedures as the [federal] government uses," said Daniel E. Lynn, business director for Mrs. Paul's.

Schaffer said many of the products are a poor value.

For example, she said, a package of 10 Mrs. Paul's breaded fish sticks cost $12.22 a pound. Take away the breading, and the pollock inside cost $29.73 a pound, she said. In comparison, consumer officials found fresh pollock in supermarket fish cases for $3.99 a pound.

But Lynn questioned whether the state's numbers are correct. He

said the suggested retail price of that so-called budget line product is $1.79. Based on the state's analysis, it paid $3.89.

"If a supermarket charged them $3.89 for our budget line breaded fish sticks, I think there's a heck of a story for the state of Connecticut. That's nuts," he said. Lynn and Pam Becker of General Mills said it's unfair for the state to make price comparisons between breaded fish and fresh fish.

Becker said shoppers buy the breaded and battered products for convenience, ease of preparation and the flavor varieties of the coatings.

"Therefore, comparing the price of raw fillets to frozen breaded [or] battered fish is not a meaningful method of measuring the value to the consumer," Becker said in a prepared statement.

Schaffer said the issue is particularly important because people now are eating more fish for health reasons. Some of the products, she said, contained fairly high amounts of fat and sodium.

"If they knew the fat and sodium content, they'd know it's not a good food," she said.

But Chris Filardo, spoksesman for Stop & Shop supermarkets, said the products contain nutritional information -- including fat and sodium content -- that the health-conscious seek when buying a product. She acknowledged, however, that the labels do not disclose the percentage of fish in the products.

"All we can tell you is the product sells well," she said. "People like it, so they must perceive that it's something that tastes good and the value is appropriate."